1 low Sara Winters Found: 

Fullness of joy . :;; 




Glass J£iX^L4=3. 
Book A/V^t 
GopigM . 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Memories 



" Behold, I stand at the door, 

And knock: 
If any man hear my voice, 

And open the door, 
I will come in to him, 
And will sup with him, 

And he with me." 

— Revelation 3. 20. 



MEMORIES 



How Sara Winters Found 
Fullness of Joy 

By 

ALIDA STANWOOD 



EATON & MAINS 
150 Fifth Avenue. New York 
1904 



LIBRARY nf OONSStSS 
Two Oooies Reeved 



AUG 18 1904 




§ X L I 
' COPY S 



Copyright, 1904, by 
ALIDA STANWOOD 



LC Control Number 




tm P 96 031429 



Contents 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Call 9 

II. Light on the Path 17 

III. An Open Door 27 

IV. Changes 43 

V. Opportunities. 57 

VI. A True Soldier 75 

VII. Lost and Found 85 

VIII. Fruit-Bearing 97 

IX. Fullness of Joy 109 

X. After Twenty Years 117 



Author's Preface 

Reader, this is no fancy sketch, 
but the true story of a life, which the 
writer has been constrained to tell 
in the deep conviction that it has a 
mission. It is sent forth with earnest 
prayer, and if it shall lead one idler 
in the vineyard to go to work, one 
heedless soul to hear and obey the 
Master's call, whether it be to preach, 
to teach, or to do His will cheerfully 
in the quiet round of monotonous 
obscurity, it will have fulfilled its 
purpose. 

A. S. 

June, 1904. 



The Call 



4 4 Once only shall I have to pass this way — 

And only I. 
And none may do the work I leave undone, 
And none may run the race I should have run ; 
In me the battle must be lost or won. 
Then finish, Lord, the work Thou hast begun, 

Thine be the praise." — Selected. 



MEMORIES 

or 

How Sara Winters Found the Fullness of Joy 



I 

THE CALL 

" How much owest thou unto my Lord? " 

— Luke 1 6. 5. 

In a distant city, one afternoon in 
the fall of 1883, a woman of twenty- 
nine was seated in a comfortably 
furnished room before an open fire 
(for the season was early and cool), 
apparently lost in thought. 

She heeded not the gathering dark- 
ness, but as the shadows lengthened 

and closed about her the reverie 
11 



Memories 

seemed to deepen, and the firelight 
revealed a face full of anxious per- 
plexity. While she is thus occupied 
let us leave her for a few minutes 
and glance backward. 

Sara Livingston was an only child. 
Her parents, of good old American 
stock, would not be called wealthy 
in these days of vast fortunes, but 
had been "well to do," enjoying all 
the comforts of life and not a few 
luxuries, and delighting to gratify 
every wish of their almost idolized 
daughter. Thus she had grown 
to young womanhood, nominally a 
Christian (having united with the 
Church at the age of twelve), but self- 

12 



The Call 

centered and utterly indifferent to the 
sufferings or needs of others. 

Her first realization that life was 
not all a pleasure day came at the 
age of sixteen, when her devoted 
mother sickened and died. Sara was 
heartbroken, and for months refused 
to be comforted. 

Just before her seventeenth birth- 
day she met Edwin Winters, and 
in the fall of 187 1 they were mar- 
ried. Twelve years of sunshine and 
shadow passed, during which time 
two little ones were laid beneath the 
sod, her beloved father ' Crossed 
over" without an hour's warning, and 

at the opening of this chapter we 
13 



Memories 

find Mrs. Winters, widowed and alone, 
at a point in life's journey where two 
roads meet, wrestling with a question 
that was destined to make or mar her 
whole future life. It was God's call— 
would she hear it and obey? 

these silent, mystic voices of the 
soul! How they come stealing in 
upon us with their messages of loving 
guidance from our Father above, and 
how often they are stilled or drowned 
by the din and clamor of this passing, 
perishing world! 

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan says: 

"We are conscious that all around is 

perishing; yea, and we ourselves, as 

to bodily powers, pass away. We are 
14 



The Call 

also conscious of a passionate desire 
for permanence. The possessive pro- 
nouns are at once a revelation of that 
desire and a confession of weakness. 
' My house/ and it is gone ! ' My child/ 
and it is dead ! There is permanence 
only in the will of God, and there only 
can we fully use the possessive pro- 
noun — 'My Lord and my God/ " 
1 S 



Light on the Path 



"Go work ... in my vineyard.' ' 

— Matthew 21. 28. 

"O Jesus Christ, my Master, 

I come to Thee to-day; 
I ask Thee to direct me 

In all I do and say. 
I want to keep my promise 

To be Thy servant true; 
I come to Thee for orders. 

Dear Lord, what shall I do?" 

— Selected. 



II 

LIGHT ON THE PATH 
A tap at the door roused Mrs. 
Winters, and a maid entered, bearing 
the simple meal she had ordered 
served in her room. She ate me- 
chanically, and retired early, but not 
to sleep, and "in the silent midnight 
watches " light dawned upon her 
path. She saw only one step before 
her, but resolved with character- 
istic determination to take that step 
as soon as day came. A letter which 

she wrote early the following morning 
J 9 



Memories 



to a prominent manager of one of the 
missionary societies in her own city- 
tells the story: 

September 21, 1883. 

Mrs. Armstrong — My Dear Madam: I 
hardly know where to begin, or how to clearly- 
set before you the strange experience that 
leads to the writing of this letter. 

Until a week ago (it seems an age) I had 
not an aim or ambition in life. My one de- 
sire was to reach the end of the journey as 
quickly as possible. "Selfish," you say. 
Yes, I grant it, and further confess that a 
large proportion of my life of ease has been 
directed to that end. 

Suddenly an unaccountable restlessness 
took possession of me, and quiet or get away 
from it I could not. An utter dissatisfac- 
tion with self filled me, and finally grew so 
overpowering that it sent me to my knees in 
earnest prayer for light and deliverance. 

I suffered intensely for days until I cried 
aloud, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" 
20 



Light on the Path 



When, like a Voice in my ear came the words, 
"Go work ... in my vineyard !" Where, and 
at what, I know not. I only know that I must 
obey, and am eager to begin. I have heard 
your name so often in connection with blessed 
service that it came to my mind almost as 
soon as my decision was reached. Can you 
help me find my place? 

I have never done anything but enjoy my- 
self and later manage my own home, but I 
am well educated and can learn. Am ready 
to begin anywhere and to give my time 
indefinitely. 

I ought to have told you before that I have 
been a professing Christian since 1 was twelve 
years of age. Am now twenty-nine. 

Anxiously awaiting reply, 

Yours in sincerity, 
Sara Livingston Winters. 

The next three days dragged heav- 
ily, and when the fourth brought no 
letter from the society Mrs. Winters 

21 



Memories 



began to be uneasy and to question if, 
perhaps, she had not made a mistake 
in writing. 

Thus it is not infrequently with 
our poor, weak humanity. When 
shall we learn to 1 'trust and wait pa- 
tiently to praise Him when He de- 
lays or withholds as heartily as when 
He " answers before we call'' ? If we 
look to Him for guidance, and He 
points out the way, let us rest in the 
knowledge that "he which hath be- 
gun a good work will perform it unto 
the day of Jesus Christ." 

On the morning of the fifth day 
the letter came, and was opened with 
trembling haste. It ran thus: 

22 



i 



Light on the Path 

September 26, 1883. 
My dear Mrs. Winters: Yours received 
and read many times with ever-deepening 
interest. 

I hardly know what to say. I cannot bid 
you come in the regular way, for our force is 
full, and yet since the Father has led you to 
write to me I dare not set the question aside; 
for the call of God in the heart must never be 
disregarded. Come and see me to-morrow at 
10 a. m., and we will talk it over. Meanwhile 
let us ask Him to direct us. 

Yours faithfully, 

R. B. Armstrong. 

The appointment was kept, and 

after an interview lasting nearly two 

hours the women parted with a 

prayer that was full of thanksgiving, 

for each recognized in the other an 

answer to former petitions. 

The head of the society had for 
23 



Memories 



years, she said, been asking God to 
send a wholly consecrated woman for 
special work at headquarters, and, 
although there had been no money 
appropriated for that purpose as yet, 
she felt sure that the worker had been 
sent in Mrs. Winters; hence the de- 
cision that she should begin at once. 

The duties as outlined included 
the meeting of all applicants and 
callers at the office, keeping a record 
of all cases of need reported, learning 
to place them in the proper channels 
for relief, and never losing an oppor- 
tunity to speak a word for the Mas- 
ter and point the troubled ones to 

Him. In addition, there were meet- 
24 



Light on the Path 

ings at which she was to assist, until 
able to conduct services herself, in 
the various chapels and missions con- 
nected with the society. 

Once again Mrs. Winters retired 
early, and passed a wakeful night, 
but how different from the other! 
Then all was sorrow, questioning, 
and uncertainty; now she could not 
sleep for the joy that filled her soul. 
A new world had opened to her. 
She felt that a new life was soon to 
begin, and, while she had a strong 
realization of her own ignorance and 
insufficiency, a strange peace en- 
veloped her as again the Voice whis- 
pered, "My grace is sufficient for 
35 



Memories 



thee, for my strength is made perfect 
in weakness.' 1 

"Thy will for my will, 

Saviour divine. 
I have committed all, 

Mine now is Thine. 
So mine shall have Thy care, 
I in Thy peace shall share — 
Thy will for my will, 

Saviour divine." — S. J. Troth. 
26 



An Open Door 



" There is an interesting legend of a strange 
instrument which hung on an old castle wall. 
No one knew its use. Its strings were broken 
and covered with dust. Those who saw it 
wondered what it was and how it had been 
used. Then, one day, a stranger came to the 
castle gate and entered the hall. His eye saw 
the dark object on the wall, and, taking it 
down, he reverently brushed the dust from 
its sides and tenderly reset its broken strings. 
Then chords long silent woke beneath his 
touch, and all hearts were strangely thrilled 
as he played. It was the master, long absent, 
who had returned to his own. 

u Some one, commenting on this legendary 
incident, says: 'In every human soul there 
hangs a marvelous harp, dust covered, with 
strings broken, while yet the Master's hand 
has not found it. Open your hearts every 
morning to Christ. Let Him enter and re- 
pair the strings which sin has broken and 
sweep them with His skillful fingers, and you 
will go out to sing through all the day. Only 
when the song of God's love is singing in our 
hearts are we ready for the day.' " — Selected. 



Ill 

AN OPEN DOOR 

" His faithful follower I would be, 
For by His hand He leadeth me." 

Monday morning came at last, and 
nine o'clock found Mrs. Winters at 
the missionary headquarters, in a 
large room just outside the superin- 
tendent's private office, where a 
crowd of sad faces had already begun 
to gather. 

She watched the worker detailed for 

that purpose listen patiently to the 

tale of sorrow or need, speak a few 

encouraging words with promise of 

an early call, and after a warm hand 
29 



Memories 



clasp in parting, which ever and again 
seemed to pierce the gloom like a ray 
of sunshine, she would turn to the 
next in order. 

The morning passed all too soon 
for this learner in God's school, and 
at its close the heart of Mrs. Winters 
was full of unshed tears. She was 
filled with a longing, new, but all-per- 
vasive. "O to be able to cheer and 
comfort sorrowing hearts like that ! " 
she murmured to herself. For the 
first time in her life she had caught a 
glimpse of the joy His service brings. 

Weeks and months followed each 

other in rapid succession, bringing 

with them new scenes and duties ever 
3° 



An Open Door 

increasing, until at the close of her 
first year the ignorant assistant had 
become the trusted confidant of the 
head of the work, sharing her mani- 
fold burdens and impressing upon all 
with whom she came in contact that 
she was indeed their friend in the 
highest, truest sense of that word. 

One morning in October, 1884, a 
call came from the city hospital and 
prison, asking if the society would not 
do something to help the many con- 
valescents and captives, who were 
frequently detained for weeks at a 
time, with no one from the outside 
world to show the least interest in 
their welfare. 

31 



Memories 

A conference was held on the sub- 
ject, and it was decided to start 
weekly Gospel meetings, to which 
both patients and prisoners would be 
welcomed. The charge of this branch 
of the society's work was assigned to 
Mrs. Winters. 

As the opening time drew near she 
pleaded the more earnestly for grace, 
wisdom, and strength to know and 
do His will. She had consecrated all 
her powers to the Master's service, 
and went forward to this new call 
humbly relying upon Him to " supply 
all her need." 

The meetings grew in numbers and 

interest, until there was an average at- 
32 



An Open Door 

tendance of about seventy women, a 
large proportion of them being pris- 
oners. They were found to be desti- 
tute of clothing and in dire need of 
temporal as well as spiritual aid. 

Another conference resulted in the 
decision to organize an industrial 
hour during the long winter evenings, 
the society providing material for 
under-garments, which the women 
were allowed to keep after sewing on 
them for two successive weeks. 

One evening during the opening 
service Mrs. Winters noticed a bright- 
faced English girl, apparently about 
twenty-two years of age, seated be- 
tween two old offenders and seem- 
33 



Memories 

ingly indifferent to all that was going 
on. As soon as the sewing had begun 
the leader went to her with a pleasant 
"Good evening," which elicited no 
response. A second effort, with a 
simple question as to her health, was 
met with a gruff 4 'No," and further 
conversation was not attempted that 
night. 

The following week Mrs. Winters 
tried again, only to meet with a simi- 
lar result, and she turned away with a 
heavy heart. She was burdened in 
soul for the young wanderer, whose 
dark eyes followed and haunted her, 
but what could she do? 

Calling her helpers together, she 
34 



An Open Door 

directed their attention to the object 
of her anxiety, and said to them, 
"Pray with me for her, but do not 
speak to her. Let her entirely alone. ' ' 
When one suggested that she might 
go out into the world again before 
the next meeting, and so be lost sight 
of, their leader, admitting the possi- 
bility, said, "Nevertheless I am 
strongly impressed that we must let 
her alone for the present," and they 
obeyed. 

A week later, when the women were 
seated, the missionaries looked anx- 
iously for the English girl, fearing 
that she had gone ; but no, there she 

was in her old place, and they re- 
35 



Memories 

joiced that another opportunity had 
been mercifully granted her. 

The opening exercises over, Mrs. 
Winters had not had time to lay 
down her Bible when the young 
woman suddenly left her place and, 
walking firmly to the leader's desk, 
said, " I am a drunkard, and thought 
there was no hope for me ; but if you 
think I'm worth saving I want to be 
saved!" Never was "the old, old 
story" more prayerfully repeated than 
in the hospital that night to this 
wayward, wandering girl, who had at 
last responded to the Master's call. 

A few days later her discharge was 

secured, and Mrs. Winters placed her 
36 



An Open Door 

in a home until suitable employment 
could be found for her. It did not 
come at once, and the faith of 
"Frances Brotherton ,> was sorely 
tested during the first month of her 
new life, but she was desperately in 
earnest, never wavering in allegiance 
to her Master, though full of anxious 
desire to be at work and earn her own 
living. After weeks of weary waiting 
the opportunity came and was joy- 
fully embraced. 

A year of faithful service passed, 
when Frances came to her bene- 
factress one morning and said, "I 
must go home to England and tell my 

old mother and brother what great 
37 



Memories 



things the Lord has done for me." 
She went, and but for an occasional 
letter telling of perseverance and vic- 
tory she dropped out of Mrs. Winters's 
life for another twelvemonth. Mean- 
while new responsibilities and cares 
were added to the busy worker at the 
mission rooms, but with them came 
an ever-deepening "joy in His serv- 
ice " and fervent thanksgiving that 
He had called her into it. 

One morning a young woman was 
ushered into her presence whose face, 
though strangely familiar, she failed 
for the moment to recognize. And 
what wonder! Surely no one would 

have believed that the well-dressed, 
38 



An Open Door 

clear-eyed, handsome girl before her 
had ever been arrayed in prison garb 
and her face marred by dissipation. 
Yet it was none other than Frances 
Brotherton. "I have crossed the 
ocean," she told Mrs. Winters, "to 
talk face to face with you about a 
desire that has been growing upon me 
for months. I want to join the Sal- 
vation Army! 19 

Now, her friend was one of many 
Christian people who, twenty years 
ago, looked upon this body of the 
Lord's hosts as extreme and their 
methods open to strong criticism. 
(Thank God that such impressions 

have well-nigh died out !) 

39 



Memories 

"O," she exclaimed, impulsively, 
" surely you do not want to join that 
strange crowd and march through 
the streets in such a conspicuous way ! 
You can serve the Lord just as faith- 
fully elsewhere.' 9 

For the first time since her rescue a 
shade of opposition and a hint of the 
old defiance crossed Frances's face, 
and then a sad but determined look 
settled upon it as she replied, "Mrs. 
Winters, / served the devil in a very 
conspicuous way, and am going to 
serve the Lord just as openly !" 

Shame and confusion covered her 

friend's face at this merited rebuke, 

and her eyes were filled with tears of 
40 



An Open Door 

contrition as, grasping the hand of 
Frances, she said, with deep feeling, 
" Follow your conviction, my sister, 
and may our Father richly bless 
you!" 

41 



Changes 



"And the truer life draws nigher 

Every year. 
And its morning star climbs higher 

Every year — ■ 
Earth's hold on us grows slighter, 
And the heavy burdens lighter, 
And the dawn immortal brighter 

Every year." -Selected. 



IV 

CHANGES 

u Think of her still as the same, I say; 
She is not dead — she is just away!" 

Like a thunderbolt from a clear 
sky came the message one day in the 
spring of 1888 that the honored head 
of the missionary society had been 
suddenly called to her reward. 

For sixteen years she had labored 

early and late, in season and out, for 

the spiritual and temporal uplift of 

suffering humanity. All connected 

with the work were staggered by 

the blow, and the hopelessness of fill- 
45 



Memories 



ing her place seemed to possess every 
heart. After three months of re- 
peated conference and earnest prayer 
Mrs. Winters was overwhelmed by 
the request that she 1 ' would assume 
charge of the work." 

At first it seemed to her impossible, 
but as she started to give utterance 
to the feeling the Voice whispered, 
"This is one of the all things which 
you can do in my strength," and 
she dared not refuse, nor had she any 
longer a wish to do so. Realizing 
more fully, if possible, than ever be- 
fore her entire dependence upon Him, 
she entered upon the exalted task set 

before her, "looking unto Jesus." 
46 



Changes 

Now, this faculty for seeing the in- 
visible, hearing the voice of God, 
feeling the powers of the Eternal, 
is the highest thing in our nature. 
It is the inspiration of all our highest 
thinking, of all our best living. It 
is the stuff from which imagination 
weaves her most splendid tapestries. 
It is that which gives impulse and 
direction to all that is best and truest 
and purest and holiest among men. 
It compels us to feel that this earthly 
environment, these things which we 
touch and handle, are in vital relation 
to Him who changes not. 

Who of us has not known something 

of that experience? It may have 
47 



Memories 

come in various ways — often through 

disappointment. Perhaps our idols 

have been shattered, our treasures 

dissipated, our hearts lonely. We 

have watched the swaying of the 

curtain as some one near and dear 

has passed through into the eternities, 

and we come to realize that the things 

which concern us most are not those 

which we handle here, but rather the 

things " within the veil." 

That world beyond the world has 

for us new meaning and influence. 

Our citizenship is there. Our home 

is there. Our heart is there, with 

our treasure, for it is becoming year 

by year more populous with those who 
48 



Changes 

have been bound to us by the strongest 
of ties here, but who have been parted 
from us to join the choir invisible; 
and toward that world to come the 
forces of our being are set with ever- 
increasing purpose and desire. Such 
had been the experience of Mrs. Win- 
ters, and with each passing year the 
invisible had become more real to her, 
the Voice clearer, the Presence nearer, 
until at times she could almost say 
with Paul, " Whether in the body or 
out of the body, I cannot tell." 

Days and weeks flew by, and the 
head of the missionary society found 
both heart and hands full in her new 

sphere of labor. Body and brain were 
49 



Memories 



weary indeed at the close of the day, 
but His peace and joy grew deeper and 
stronger within her soul as time sped 
on. Her diary for October 4, 1890, 
contains this entry: 

My heart overflows with gratitude to God 
for His great goodness to me. The year just 
closed has been rilled with manifestations of 
His presence and power. He has permitted 
me to be helpful to over five thousand strug- 
gling souls, many of whom were without an 
anchor. In numerous instances loss of faith 
and bitterness of spirit, resulting from their 
hard lot, is not easily overcome, but O, the 
blessed privilege of being workers together 
with Him! " Father, keep me faithful to these 
eternal interests," is my hourly prayer. 

One evening shortly after the 
above was written Mrs. Winters re- 
turned from the city hospital more 
50 



Changes 

depressed and nearer discouraged 
than she had ever been before in that 
hard corner of the "vineyard." 

"It seems as if I had been talking 
and singing to the air'' she remarked 
to a friend on her way home. "I 
never saw the women so unrespon- 
sive. Nothing I could say seemed 
to make the least impression upon 
them." 

"You are wearing yourself out," 
her friend replied. "You will be old 
before your time. Why not drop 
this particular branch of the work, 
which really belongs to your assistant ? 
You owe it to yourself to stay at home 
and rest." 

S 1 



Memories 

Mrs. Winters did not reply, but 
bade her friend "Good night" a mo- 
ment or two later and entered her 
home. Until "nature's sweet re- 
storer" came to her relief she lay- 
thinking of what her friend had said 
and wondering if, after all, the advice 
was not worth heeding. 

The truth is, this earnest, conse- 
crated worker was sidetracked in the 
very same spot where many another 
has been. She was looking for results 
from her labors of the evening, and, 
finding none, yet forgetful of the 
promise, "My word shall not return 
void," she found herself in a most 

unhappy state of mind, from which 
52 



Changes 

she dropped into a deep sleep without 
reaching any decision. 

Two days passed, and on the after- 
noon of the third a telegram was 
handed her which read, "Come at 
once to ward five, city hospital; a 
dying woman begs to see you." 

She lost no time in going to the 
hospital and ward indicated, but 
upon reaching the bedside of the pa- 
tient, who, it was plain to see, had 
only a short time to live, she found 
instead of a familiar face one which 
she never remembered having seen 
before. 

" I do not know you," she said, ten- 
derly, to the sufferer. " Are you sure 
S3 



Memories 

you wanted to see me? Perhaps it 
was one of my helpers you sought/ 1 
"0, no!" the woman responded, 
faintly. " You are Mrs. Winters, and I 
was one of the prisoners in your last 
week's meeting here. You said and 
sang, ' Whosoever will may come/ but 
you told us we must choose or will to 
be saved, and that it might be the last 
chance for some one there. It was my 
last chance, though I did not know it 
then, but I chose and came — and now 
I'm going to Jesus! — / thought you'd 
like to know — " The last words were 
feebly uttered; an upward look, a 
smile as though she saw the messen- 
ger, and she was gone ! 

54 



Changes 

Mrs. Winters stood as if rooted to 
the spot. Her lack of faith, her 
fears, doubts, and discouragement 
passed in rapid review before her, as 
she recalled with shame and humilia- 
tion her half -formed resolution to give 
up this spot of hard soil because she 
had seen no sign of fruit, and beside 
that lifeless clay she registered a vow 
that in all the subsequent years of her 
life was never broken. It was this: 
"If the Father ever honors me with 
visible results of my labor for souls I 
will praise Him and rejoice, but never 
again while life lasts will I look for 
them or be disappointed if I see them 
not." 

55 



Opportunities 



" Something each day — a word, 

We cannot know its power; 
It grows in fmitfulness 

As grows the gentle flower. 
What comfort it may bring 

Where all is dark and drear! 
For a kind word every day 

Makes pleasant all the year. 

" Something each day — a deed 

Of kindness and of good, 
To link in closer bond 

All human brotherhood. 
O, thus the heavenly will 

We all may do while here, 
For a good deed every day 

Makes blessed all the year." 

— George Cooper, 



V 

OPPORTUNITIES 

"Our little light, then, let it shine; 

What though 'tis but a feeble ray? 
Perhaps 'twill guide some faltering steps 

Into the perfect day." 

There is a class of people who have 
no idea what to do with their time, 
and therefore laboriously occupy 
themselves in the effort to find pas- 
time. That is one reason for the dis- 
satisfaction, the unrest which is so 
characteristic of modern society ; the 
rasp and fret which come with the 
consciousness that the things which 
claim you, which are largely funda- 
mental and of minor import, have 
59 



Memories 



taken possession of one's time, while 
the things that loom tip large in the 
light of eternity are crowded into 
the background for lack of time. It 
is but very little space that is al- 
lotted to each one of us in which to 
do his lifework. Christ calls it " to- 
day.' ' "The night cometh, in which 
no man can work." Yet it is pos- 
sible for time and opportunity lost to 
be redeemed. Are you looking back 
upon days and months, perhaps years, 
that have been spent in selfish pleas- 
ure — looking back regretfully, with 
the feeling that you can never re- 
cover what you have lost? "Seek 

ye first the kingdom of God!" 
60 



Opportunities 

When the things that pertain to 
eternity become your supreme inter- 
est, not only does the present moment 
become fruitful, but everything in 
your past, not alone its struggles and 
attainments, but its failures, follies, 
and sins, become subordinate to the 
great object which God has set before 
you, and you begin to rise on the 
stepping-stones of your dead self to 
higher things. Your sun may be 
marching toward the setting, the 
shadows perhaps are lengthening, 
and you may have a sense of the ut- 
ter fruitlessness, the unworthiness of 
what you have done ; but when you 

surrender your will to God's will, and 
61 



Memories 

seek to discern His way of life for you, 
life will take on a new meaning, new 
value, new power, and everything 
that you have done or suffered in the 
past will contribute to make your life 
what it ought to be and heaven in- 
finitely blessed ! 

" Can it be possible that I ever had 
time to spare or, what is worse, time 
to kill?" exclaimed Mrs. Winters to 
an associate one afternoon in early 
June, as she turned the pages of her 
" Monthly record of cases and items 
of special interest." Let us peep 
over her shoulder, all unseen, and 
follow her reading : 

" It has recently been our privilege 
62 



Opportunities 

to supply a downtown church with 
an earnest Christian worker. The 
pastor writes us, 1 She is clearly an 
answer to prayer, and comes when 
most needed.' 

"One of our missionaries is assist- 
ing in the blessed work of a Faith 
Home, a short distance away, and 
feels sure that she was called of God 
to her present field of labor. 

"A most interesting girl of seven- 
teen was sent to us by a leading bishop 
of the Episcopal Church. She told us 
that her life was being made a torture 
by an aunt with whom she lived, who 
had threatened to turn her out into 
the street if she did not find work 
63 



Memories 

immediately. We cared for the poor, 
frightened child during the day and 
told her to return in the morning. 
Meanwhile we secured the interest of 
a friend who has spent a large portion 
of her life in procuring work for her 
suffering sisters, and she succeeded 
in finding a good home for our pro- 
tege the very next day. 

"Many are sent to us each week 
whose home and people are far 
beyond the seas, and it is our joyful 
privilege to shield them from the 
pitfalls of a great city until our 
friend and colaborer can find an open 
door to self-support for them. 

"A few months ago, while visiting 
64 



Opportunities 

an Episcopal institution, we were 
introduced to a sweet-faced young 
sister known as Mary Clementine. 
In subsequent visits to one of our 
proteges there we came to know the 
sister quite intimately and found her 
a rarely beautiful character. 

"Two weeks ago a familiar face, 
which we tried in vain to place, came 
into the mission room, and when she 
smiled at our perplexity we recog- 
nized none other than Sister Mary, 
in the world 'Miss Raymond/ 

"With tearful eyes she explained 

that her mother had strongly opposed 

her entering the sisterhood, and her 

absence from home had so worn upon 
65 



Memories 

the mother's delicate constitution 
that serious illness resulted, from 
which it was feared she would not re- 
cover. A plea that her child come 
back, for a while at least, was more 
than Miss R. could bear, for she re- 
alized that it might prolong the dear 
life, and so after five years of isola- 
tion the 'Sister' laid aside her vest- 
ments and returned to the world she 
had renounced, feeling like a stranger 
in a strange land. She came to us for 
counsel. She must help in the burden- 
bearing, for her father had been a 
semi-invalid for years. After looking 
to our Father for guidance we invited 

Miss R. to assist us here, for the 
66 



Opportunities 

present, in our visiting and general 
mission work, which she joy fully- 
agreed to do. 

" Privileges and opportunities mul- 
tiply as the seasons come and go, and 
we daily bless the kind Providence 
that guided our steps to this corner 
of the vineyard. 

"A young woman came in yester- 
day with a message from one of our 
members, and after delivering it she 
hesitated and said, ' Do you remem- 
ber me?' Upon our replying in the 
negative she continued: 'Four years 
ago I came here in despair. I was 
alone in the world except my baby, 

for whom I could not provide. I 
67 



Memories 

stood at a point where two roads 

meet, and the temptation to end the 

struggle was strong within me. You 

cared for my little one, and turned my 

feet into the right path. I learned to 

love and trust my Saviour and soon 

after found a chance to earn my living. 

I have been faithful ever since, and 

the longing to tell others about Him 

has grown upon me, until I could 

wait no longer. He has raised up 

friends for my child, and I have 

obeyed His call. I am preparing for 

the foreign mission field, and expect 

to start in a few months. I praise 

His name for sending me here/ 

" A beautiful face, in striking con- 
68 



Opportunities 

trast to her bent and twisted body, is 

owned by Jessie, the young girl who 

washes dishes in a nearby lunch 

room. Her physical condition is due 

to the cruel treatment she received 

from a drunken father in her early 

childhood. She was sent to us some 

months ago, and our friend placed 

her where she is. She is very happy, 

and is an active missionary in her 

humble sphere. 

" A few days ago a hungry-looking 

woman came up to her on the street 

and asked*for a dime 'to buy food.' 

Jessie possessed just that amount and 

no more, but she cheerfully gave it and 

exacted a promise from the woman in 
69 



Memories 

return that she would meet her at 
prayer meeting that evening. We 
tried to prepare her for disappoint- 
ment, but her faith was strong, and, 
sure enough, the woman came. After 
meeting Jessie took the stranger to 
her own poor lodging, and the Chris- 
tian woman with whom she stays 
improvised a bed for the wanderer. 

"The next day Jessie brought her 
to us, and we found her to be a 
woman in whose struggles we had 
been deeply interested three years 
ago. Her mother's illness and subse- 
quent death were the cause of her 
present condition. She found light 

work two days later, and left us re- 
70 



Opportunities 

joicing in the Saviour, through the 
helping hand of a poor dishwasher. 

"How the coming of the King 
would be hastened if all of His 
professed followers were as ready- 
to be used of Him as was this poor 
girl! 

"The English widow whom we 

placed in hospital three months ago, 

after spending eleven weeks there, 

was discharged at a time when every 

convalescents' home was found to be 

full. She had not a dollar or a place to 

lay her head, and was not yet able to 

sit up the entire day. So we took 

her into our own home until an open 

door could be found. 

7* 



Memories 



"Mrs. G., a delicate American 
widow, whose heavy mourning made 
her look conspicuously pathetic, came 
to us for advice. Her husband's long 
illness and subsequent death, together 
with business complications, left the 
poor wife to face life's battle alone. It 
was our privilege, after asking the 
great 'Burden-bearer/ to guide, to 
aid her in securing a house in a good 
location, which she has already filled 
with boarders. So she is looking up 
with fresh courage and hope. 

"Two girls, one of them a cripple 
from a distant town, came to the city 
in the hope of getting work and help- 
ing their aged father. We discour- 
72 



Opportunities 

aged the effort, realizing how more 
than useless it would be, but they 
determined to try every channel, and 
they did, returning to us after four 
weeks, looking pale and pinched, glad 
to avail themselves of our offer to send 
them back. 

" It has been our privilege this 
month to send several missionaries 
to an Eastern city. 

" Mrs. B., a hard-working widow, 
was enabled to secure a much- 
needed change and at the same time 
minister to her sick son in Denver, 
Colorado. 

"Mrs. C, another widow, was sent 

to relatives in Montreal. 

73 



Memories 

" Miss G., a working girl, was sent 
to Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania. 

" A tired toiler was sent to friends 
in Buffalo. 

" Fourteen to hospitals and conva- 
lescent homes. 

" We will not try to enumerate the 
privileges and opporttmities of the 
past month, nor tell of the weary, 
the sin-sick, and dying to whom we 
have been permitted to minister ' in 
His name.' They number four hun- 
dred and sixty-two! " 

" the joy of being a laborer with 
Him! " whispered Mrs. Winters, com- 
muning with her own heart, as she 
closed the book. 

74 



A True Soldier 



"Be strong and of a good courage; 
Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: 
For the Lord thy God is with thee 
Whithersoever thou goest." — Joshua i. 9. 



VI 

A TRUE SOLDIER 

"Sure I must fight, if I would reign; 

Increase my courage, Lord; 
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, 

Supported by thy word." 

Three years have passed since the 
conversation recorded between Mrs. 
Winters and Frances Brotherton in 
which the latter announced her in- 
tention of joining the Salvation Army. 
She acted upon her resolution the very 
next day, and began the warfare 
against sin, full of hope and cour- 
age. Into highways and byways she 
went, carrying the War Cry and a 

message of salvation through the 
77 



Memories 



same haunts of drunkenness that she 
had formerly frequented, thus testi- 
fying by her changed life to the sav- 
ing and keeping power of the grace 
of God. She was made lieutenant 
after two years of service, and began 
to assist in the opening of new sta- 
tions for rescue work. During all of 
this time Mrs. Winters continued to 
be her most valued friend and coun- 
selor. 

One morning early Frances ap- 
peared at the mission room, and her 
friend noticed the restless eagerness 
of her face and manner as she waited 
for an interview. Finally the oppor- 
tunity came, and she began abruptly 
78 



A True Soldier 

by saying, " I want to go to the hos- 
pital meeting with you next week! 
May I?" 

Now, this was exactly what Mrs. 
Winters had often and earnestly de- 
sired, but feared to say so, lest the or- 
deal should be too great a strain upon 
Frances or that she would consent 
to go merely because her friend wished 
it. To have her thus volunteer was 
indeed a delight. 

They arranged to meet at an ap- 
pointed place the following Monday 
evening, and parted, promising each 
other to pray earnestly meanwhile 
that the Spirit's power might attend 

the effort and many souls be saved. 
79 



Memories 



The evening came, and these two 
leaders, so strangely united in work 
for the Master, entered the room to- 
gether. They found it crowded to 
the door, and with difficulty made 
their way to the front. Twice as 
they passed through the long lines 
of women some one whispered to 
her neighbor, 4 'Why, that's Frances 
Brotherton ! She was one of us when 
I was here before! Yes, strange as 
it may seem, there were among the 
ninety women present two who had 
been prisoners during Frances's term, 
three years before. 

"God moves in a mysterious way 
His wonders to perform.'* 
80 



A True Soldier 

Mrs. Winters glanced anxiously at 
Frances, but was relieved by the 
latter's hand clasp as she said, in a low 
tone, "Tin glad some of them know 
me ; it will give me the greater chance 
to show my colors.' ' 

After brief opening exercises the 
leader announced that Lieutenant 
Brotherton of the Salvation Army 
would speak, and again she cast an 
anxious glance at her companion; 
but there was no need for anxiety. 
Frances was on her feet in an instant, 
her face illumined, her whole man- 
ner indicating intense interest and 
strength of purpose. 

She began with the story of her 
81 



Memories 



life, her downfall and rescue, growing 
positively eloquent as she portrayed 
the Saviour's wonderful love and 
mercy in following her, even after she 
had rejected Him and put Him to 
an open shame. She spoke steadily 
for over a half hour, the women lis- 
tening with bated breath (the still- 
ness was the kind that is felt rather 
than described) , and when she closed 
with the offer from Him of pardon 
and peace for all who would accept 
many of the hard faces before her 
were wet with contrite tears, and a 
large proportion of the women present 
resolved, in God's strength, to begin 
a new life. 

82 



A True Soldier 

When, after prayer and counsel 
with a number who lingered after the 
meeting was dismissed, Mrs. Winters 
and Frances finally turned their steps 
homeward it was with hearts too 
full for words. To their dying day 
neither can ever forget that mem- 
orable night at the city hospital or 
know, until "the books are opened," 
all that it meant to those gathered 
there. 

A few months later Lieutenant 
Brotherton was sent to Eastern and 
Southern cities to organize rescue 
corps in each, though not dreaming 
that years would elapse before she 
should see the face of her friend again. 
83 



/ 



Lost and Found 



1 1 He knows how I am longing 

Some weary soul to win; 
And so He bids me go and speak 

A loving word for Him : 
He bids me tell His wondrous love, 

And how He came to die ; 
And so we work together, 

My Lord and I." 

"For we are laborers together with God." 

— i Corinthians 3.9. 



VII 

LOST AND FOUND 

"O Master, let me walk with thee 
In lowly paths of service free." 

On a stormy night about fifteen 

years ago a woman was found seated 

upon the doorstep of an empty 

dwelling, with a child of four clinging 

to her wet garments and crying 

piteously. The woman was under 

the influence of liquor, and an officer 

of the law consigned her to a cell for 

the night, leaving the little girl in 

care of the police matron until the 

following morning, when she was 

placed in one of the city institutions. 
s 7 



Memories 



Five years passed, and one day, 
just as Mrs. Winters was preparing to 
leave her office to attend to some out- 
side duties, a wan and weary-look- 
ing woman entered and begged to see 
the superintendent, to whom she had 
been directed for advice. 

Feebly she sobbed out the above 
story, with the addition (for it was her 
own) that she never used liquor, but 
was persuaded by the friend whose 
home she had visited that stormy 
night to "take a little before braving 
the storm. ,, The " little'' proved too 
much, and she was completely over- 
come by it, realizing nothing after 

she dropped on the doorstep until the 
88 



Lost and Found 

next morning when she awakened in 
a prison cell. 

Frantic over the loss of her child, 
the matron, a kind-hearted woman, 
had tried to comfort her with the 
assurance that the little one was safe, 
and gave her the address of the insti- 
tution to which it had been sent; 
but before her ten days' sentence 
had expired the night's exposure had 
done its work, and the poor woman 
was transferred to a hospital, danger- 
ously ill. 

For a time she hovered between life 

and death, but was finally pronounced 

" out of danger. " Convalescence was 

slow, however, and two months 
89 



Memories 



elapsed before she was able to seek 
her child. Then it proved too late, 
for she was told that "the little girl 
had been adopted into a wealthy- 
family, and would never want for 
anything again ;" but all further in- 
formation was positively refused. 
She staggered a few steps from the 
door and then sank to the ground un- 
conscious, and was carried to a nearby 
hospital, where, for a second time, 
she wrestled with the "king of 
terrors," but was again brought back 
to life, and a month later was directed 
to Mrs. Winters. The latter put forth 
every effort in her power to trace the 

child, but in vain, and the heart- 
90 



Lost and Found 

broken mother finally gave up the 
search in despair. She told Mrs. 
Winters that she had neglected duty 
and wandered from God, and she 
feared He had forsaken her. 

Very gently did her new friend 
lead her back into the light of God's 
love as she poured out her heart be- 
fore Him in behalf of His penitent 
child, and was rejoiced when the lat- 
ter, joining in the petition, promised, 
in His strength, to walk with Him 
all the rest of her days. She returned 
to her humble home that day, filled 
with His peace, and took up the 
burden of life in quiet submission. 

Old friends supplied her with sewing 
9* 



Memories 



sufficient to meet her small needs, and 
she kept in close touch with Mrs. 
Winters, to whom she felt she owed 
the " life that is more than meat." 

Nine times had the snows of winter 
been followed by spring flowers, since 
the events recorded above, when, in 
looking over her mail one morning, 
the superintendent selected for her 
first reading a letter bearing a foreign 
postmark and addressed in a fine, 
scholarly hand to "The Superintend- 
ent of Missionary Society/ 9 It began : 

Dear Sir or Madam: 

I have been directed to your society, and 
write in the hope that you may help me find 
my mother, of whose existence I have but 
just learned. Ever since I can remember I 
92 



Lost and Found 



have believed the dear people with whom 
I live to be my parents, but on this, my 
eighteenth birthday, they have revealed to 
me the story of my life, feeling it to be their 
duty, yet urging upon me the strong proba- 
bility that my mother is dead and assuring 
me again, as they have done many times in 
the past, that their wealth is mine. They 
have spared nothing in my education and 
training during all these years, and it grieves 
me to even appear ungrateful, but I must 
find my mother if she lives! Can you, will you, 
help me? 

Details and descriptions followed, 
and Mrs. Winters realized before she 
had finished reading that the long- 
lost child was found! 

How she praised God for permitting 
her to be the medium of such a re- 
union ! Not an hour was lost in mail- 
93 



Memories 

ing a letter to both, and two weeks 
later she saw them clasped in each 
other's arms. 

What a privilege to be taken into 
companionship with the King Eter- 
nal and to have a part in that great 
task which He is carrying on through 
the ages! If we are working with 
God He cannot be to us a God afar off. 
O the blessedness of the nearness 
which such service brings ! 

We see on every side men and 
women busy in gathering to them- 
selves the wealth of this poor world, 
men and women pining for social hon- 
ors which are like the breath of leaves 

that will soon crumble to dust. How 
94 



Lost and Found 

utterly insignificant all this would 
appear to them if the coming of the 
King were announced! From what 
a multitude of startled souls would 
arise the cry, ' ' Come not, O Master 
of men, call us not to a final account, 
until we have had time to do some 
service that will count for God, for 

humanity, for the eternal ages "! 
95 



Fruit-Bearing 



" We shall reap such joys in the by and by, 
But what have we sown to-day? 

We shall build us mansions in the sky, 
But what have we built to-day? 

We shall give to truth a grander birth, 

And to steadfast faith a deeper worth; 

We shall feed the hungering souls of earth; 
But whom have we fed to-day ?" 

— Nixon Waterman. 



VIII 

FRUIT-BEARING 

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the 
evening withhold not thine hand." 

— Ecclesiastes n. 6. 

The summer of 1898 can never be 
forgotten. Next to direct contact 
with the horrors of war were the 
long days spent in the blistering heat 
of a great city, in the effort to keep 
hope alive and impart fresh courage 
to weary hearts, whose loved ones 
had gone to the conflict. Mrs. Win- 
ters planned vacations for her helpers, 
but determined not to leave her post 
before the autumn. 

99 Lrfc 



Memories 



Day after day they crowded the 
mission room, those sad-eyed women, 
and eagerly they listened to the words 
of cheer that always awaited them 
there. In many instances it was all 
that could be done for them, and the 
superintendent was hourly thankful 
for the privilege of pointing these 
anxious ones to the Source of all 
strength and comfort. Never before 
had she so fully realized how far 
the touch of human sympathy 
could reach. There were wives and 
mothers facing starvation because 
they persistently refused to leave the 
city even temporarily for the work 
that awaited them, lest they lose an 

IOO 



Fruit-Bearing 

hour's time in hearing from or of 
their loved ones. Some had already 
waited weeks in vain, and they were 
desperate. 

There were children adrift, sud- 
denly made orphans, and not know- 
ing where to go for shelter or food. 
There were Cuban refugees seeking a 
chance to earn their way in this land 
of the free. Among the latter was 
a family of five (mother and four 
daughters). When asked if she 
trusted God the poor mother replied, 
" If I did not I would not try to live 
another hour. I've prayed all night 
for guidance, and He has sent me 
here." 

IOI 



Memories 

Grateful indeed was Mrs. G., a 
beautiful little woman of thirty, 
whose loyal young husband had 
fallen in the first battle and been 
buried on the field. She struggled 
hard, but the heartbreak and effort 
to provide for herself and child proved 
too much for her frail body, and she 
came to the mission a physical wreck. 
She was sent to hospital, and then 
to convalescent home, after which, 
with her little daughter, who had 
meanwhile been placed in care of a 
poor neighbor, she spent four weeks 
in the country, returning with new 
hope and courage, for in the quiet 
hours she had learned to cast her 

102 



Fruit-Bearing 

burden on the Lord and go forward 
in His strength. 

Similar in suffering and brave de- 
termination was Mrs. M. But a few 
weeks before she had watched for the 
postman from the window of her own 
little home, eagerly anticipating the 
letter from her " other self," as she 
called him. One short hour after 
she was sitting, dazed and crushed, 
trying in vain to realize that her 
lover-husband would never again 
write or return to her. Stern neces- 
sity compelled her to break up the 
home so dear to her heart, and she 
came to the mission for advice 

concerning a resident position that 
103 



Memories 



had been offered to her by a sym- 
pathizing friend. It meant separa- 
tion from her twin boys of three, and 
her heart bled afresh at the thought. 
She poured her sorrows into the sym- 
pathetic ear of Mrs. Winters and went 
out strong to do and to endure. The 
next day she promised her friend to 
give a mother's care to a little orphan 
girl, while in a public institution her 
own wee lambs were daily watching 
for the dear face that was only per- 
mitted to see them once in four long 
weeks. O the power of sustaining 
grace ! 

Many during that memorable sum- 
mer grew heartsick from hope de- 
104 



Fruit-Bearing 

f erred, and in their dark adversity, 
with earthly props removed, learned 
for the first time to lean upon the 
promises that are "yea and amen to 
those who believe." 

The true possession of the Christ 
life brings an earnest desire to know 
and to do His will. If, then, we have 
occasion to lament the barrenness of 
our lives let us not imitate those 
who say, "I am striving to be faith- 
ful/ ' " Consider the lilies, how they 
grow." Consider the vine branches, 
how they yield their clusters. Effort 
does not clothe the grass of the field. 
It is not by struggle that grapes are 

ripened for the vintage. The patter 
i°5 



Memories 

of the life within the vine, surging out 
to the uttermost tendril, brings the 
fruitage. 

So if our lives are in living union 
with the Lord Jesus Christ we shall 
bear fruit ; not by struggle and effort, 
but by the force of Christ's love 
working within us mightily. 

It is the glory of our humanity 
that for each of us God has a plan of 
life. It is the glory of every disciple 
that the Master assigns to every man 
his work. There is a place for each of 
us to fill, a part for each one to per- 
form, in His great purpose. 

Are we " in tune with the Infinite" ? 

If we are, then the multitude of those 
106 



Fruit-Bearing 

around us who are living in darkness, 
without the knowledge of Christ, will 
be coming into our light, and desiring 
to possess that peace which He has 
planted within our hearts. May He 
help us each day to know His will, to 
walk in His way, to bear fruit, and 
grow more like Him! 

"For fruitfulness and blessing 

There is no 'royal road;' 
The power for holy service 

Is intercourse with God! 11 
107 



Fullness of Joy 



"Love thyself last. Look near; behold thy 
duty 

To those who walk beside thee down life's 
road ; 

Make glad their days by little acts of beauty, 
And help them bear the burden of earth's 
load. 

"Love thyself last. Look far and find the 
stranger 

Who staggers 'neath her sin or her despair; 
Go lend a hand and lead her out of danger, 
To heights where she may see the world is 
fair. 

"Love thyself last; and O, such joy shall thrill 
thee 

As never yet to selfish soul was given; 
Whate'er thy lot a perfect peace shall fill 
thee, 

And earth shall seem the anteroom of 
heaven." — Selected. 



IX 

FULLNESS OF JOY 

"That my joy might remain in you, 
And that your joy might be full." 

—John 15. 11. 

One of the rules of the missionary 
society was to place new workers in 
the office for a month before assign- 
ing them to a " field.' ' It was at the 
close of an exceptionally trying day 
that one of these (Miss C.) and Mrs. 
Winters had seated themselves for a 
quiet talk before starting homeward. 

The former broke the silence with 

the question, "Are you never tired? 

I've been watching you all day, and 
in 



Memories 

you have met everyone with the 
same cheerful smile. You seemed in 
no hurry, though at one time there 
were more than twenty waiting to see 
you. Shall I ever be able to make 
each one feel that I am her personal 
friend as you do? It seems impos- 
sible; tell me the secret.' 9 

"It is the joy" murmured Mrs. 
Winters to herself, and then she said 
aloud, " It is not, as some contend, a 
matter of temperament, but rather 
a work of grace, and for you, my dear 
sister, just as much as for me. It 
does not come all at once. It is a 
growth; and 0, how small and igno- 
rant one feels in contemplating the 

112 



Fullness of Joy 

" Perfect Man' ' ! How I daily long to 
be more like Him! Keep your eye 
fixed upon the pattern. 'Then shall 
we know if we follow on to know the 
Lord/ Take time to sit at His feet. 
Walk softly that you may hear His 
voice, and in the joy of doing His will 
you will learn what it means to renew 
your strength, to 'run and not be 
weary; to walk and not faint/ 

"Many in these days," continued 
Mrs. Winters, "are inclined to think 
of this divine Voice as something re- 
mote, unreal; something peculiar at 
least to Bible times, believing that the 
former ways of God's revealing His 

will have now ceased. Why should 
113 



Memories 



they cease? If a door has ever been 
opened between the realm of God's 
Spirit and the realm of man's spirit 
why should it not stay open? God 
has ever spoken in such tones that 
man can hear and understand; why- 
should He not continue thus to speak? 
Does God take less interest in His chil- 
dren of to-day than in those of former 
times? 

"Some have been inclined to as- 
sume that we are grown-up children, 
and therefore do not need a Voice to 
say, 'This is the way; walk ye in it.' 
I would like to ask all such a ques- 
tion : Can it be easier for you to find 

the way of life through the benighted 
114 



Fullness of Joy 

streets of this great city than it was 
for Abraham to find it on the hills 
beside Hebron or for Simon Peter on 
the shore of Gennesaret? No; there 
never was a time when the children 
of men needed more the guidance of 
the divine Voice than amid the mazes 
and mysteries of this complex mod- 
ern life. 

" Long years ago I heard His Voice 
calling me, and I took the first step in 
obedience, as you have done. The 
way has not been all smooth — there 
have been rough roads and hard hills 
— but He has been with me all the 
way. Each returning season has 
brought increasing cares and heavier 
TI 5 



Memories 



burdens, but I have learned to praise 
Him for both, because they opened 
doors to new opportunities for cheer- 
ing the disconsolate and helping strug- 
gling ones to a firmer trust in our 
heavenly Father, in whose service I 
have found fullness of joy" 

"Love thyself last; and thou shalt grow in 
spirit 

To see, to hear, to know and understand; 
The message of the stars, lo, thou shalt hear 
it, 

And all God's joys shall be at thy com- 
mand. 

"Love thyself last. The world shall be made 
better 

By thee, if this brief motto forms thy creed, 
Go follow it in spirit and in letter; 

This is the Christ religion which men need." 
116 



After Twenty Years 



"Beautiful faces are they that wear 
The light of a pleasant spirit there; 
It matters little if dark or fair. 

' 'Beautiful hands are they that do 
Deeds that are noble, good, and true; 
Busy each hour the long day through. 

"Beautiful feet are they that go 
Swiftly to lighten another's woe, 
Through summer's heat and winter's 
snow. 

"Beautiful shoulders are they that bear 
Ceaseless burdens of hourly care 
With patient grace and daily prayer. 

"Beautiful lives are they that bless 
Those who are poor or in distress, 
Ever imparting happiness. 

"Beautiful they, whether rich or poor, 
Who walk heaven's pathway sweet and 
pure, 

Leading to mansions blest and sure. 

"Beautiful welcome beyond the sky 
W'here the love-light beams in our Sav- 
iour's eye 

And the joys of heaven can never die.' 1 

— Selected. 



X 



AFTER TWENTY YEARS 

"I know not where the shoals may lie, 
Nor where the whirlpools be ; 

It is enough, dear Lord, to feel 
That they are known to thee. 

"And thus content I glide along, 

If either slow or fast, 
Well knowing He who guides will bring 

Me safe to port at last.' ' — Selected. 

" Time, like an ever-flowing stream, 
bears us away," and whither f Are 
we drifting with the tide, or have we 
" an anchor that keeps the soul stead- 
fast and sure while the billows roll"? 
If we are safe, then what are we doing 
to save our fellow-travelers from ship- 
wreck? 

**9 



Memories 



Let no one say, "I haven't any- 
chance, in my hidden life, to work for 
Him/ ' The fine work of His kingdom, 
the work that lives and lasts, is more 
frequently done in quiet places, in 
the silence of loving, trustful, peni- 
tent hearts. "The vessel unto hon- 
or'' is often hid behind the pleasant 
garb of a Mary of Bethany — and O, 
the Marthas! Chastened, sanctified, 
where in this sad world of ours can 
we not trace their consecrated foot- 
steps? Who can count the pillows 
they have smoothed, the tears they 
have dried, the hearts they have com- 
forted? They are all in God's book. 
He knows them. 

120 



After Twenty Years 

Rev. W. L. Watkinson, in his 
"Education of the Heart/ ' beauti- 
fully expresses this point. He says : 
"Great things are not necessary for 
the attainment of great character. 
This is strikingly manifest in the 
pattern life, the life of our Lord. 

" For thirty years that life was en- 
tirely uneventful, unhistorical, yet He 
grew into the fullness of that supreme 
character which commands the ad- 
miration and reverence of mankind. 
Seekest thou great things for thyself? 
Seek them not ; the humblest posts 
are sufficient to discipline into abso- 
lute fidelity the unrecorded toils and 
satisfactions of the common lot, per- 

121 



Memories 

feet true souls in all the graces of the 
Christian life. 

" Life is not a question of having 
much, being much, or doing much; 
but of the sincere love and service of 
God in any situation whatever. 

" Seek not great things; seek great 
principles and graces. Seek not great 
things for thyself; seek to serve and 
bless; and although men may call 
thee poor, Christ will whisper, 'But 
thou art rich.' " 

No better illustration of obedience 
to this injunction could be found 
than the life of Frances Brotherton 
since her conversion in the city hos- 
pital, long years ago. Her aim has 

122 



After Twenty Years 

truly been "to serve and bless/ ' and 
blessings rich and rare have crowned 
her labors. She has " endured hard- 
ness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 
Deprived of this world's goods, in 
truth it can be said of her, "having 
nothing, yet possessing all things," 
hers are indeed the true riches. 

In her last letter, dated August, 
1903, written on the Pacific Coast, 
she says : 

Dear Friend: I have been waiting till I 
was settled before writing you, dear Mrs. 
Winters, but I'll not wait longer, for I see 
no prospect of my being settled for any length 
of time. 

I was called here some months ago, and 
have been on the move, in the interest of the 
work, ever since my arrival. Orders to go to 
123 



Memories 



San Francisco have just reached me. It will 
be cooler there. How good the Lord is to 
let me go, after suffering the intense heat 
here! 

I am so glad that Jesus is with me in the 
many strange places I visit. I was thinking 
the other day how lonely I should be without 
Him. O, I want to lead many more into His 
blessed companionship before He calls me 
home! 

God bless you! 

Hoping you are all well, and that I may 
hear from you soon again, I remain 
Yours in the Holy War, 

Frances Brotherton, 
Ensign Salvation Army. 

Into palace and hovel, hospital and 

prison cell Mrs. Winters still carries 

the good news of salvation for all who 

will accept it. Her hours at the 

mission rooms are as crowded as ever, 
124 



After Twenty Years 

and the responsibility of living, the 
power of unconscious influence, with 
the privileges and opportunities that 
each day brings, are to her ever- 
present realities. 

Looking backward over twenty 
years of service, she was startled to 
find by the annual records that she 
has come into personal touch with 
more than ninety thousand souls! 

"What hath God wrought!" 



Weeks, months, and years are 
speeding by. "The night cometh!" 
Ere long she will again hear the 
Master's voice, as He calls from over 

125 



Memories 



the wave, to summon her home, and 
when the dawn of that eternal morn- 
ing breaks upon the shore Sara 
Winters will behold the King in His 
beauty and will enter into the joy of 
her Lord, to serve Him forever more 
in that land where pain and partings 
are unknown. 



The End. 
126 



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